Splitting machine



Jan. w, i939. J. BAZZONI SPLITTING MACHINE June 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed l Il /M/E/v TU/P L. J. BAZZONI Jan. l0, i939.

"SPLITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 25, 1937 Filed Jan. 10, i939. .1, BAZZONI SPLITTING MACHINE June 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed L. J. BAZZONI Jan. lo, 1939.

SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPLITTING MACHINE Application June 25, 1937, Serial No. 150,355

26 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for splitting heel-breast covering flaps from soles of shoes.

In United States Letters Patent No. 1,983,592, granted December l1, 1934, on an application filed in my name, there is disclosed a sole provided with an improved heel-breast covering flap the margin of which is thin and of uniform thickness, the central base portion of the flap having at its inner face a reinforcing rib which merges with the margin.

Considerable diculty has been experienced in accurately splitting from soles heel-breast covering flaps which are reinforced at certain localities, the above difiiculty being due in part to the fact that the edge of the cutter cannot be placed sufriciently close to the matrix, at the locality in which the sole is being progressively flexed as the flap is being split, without restricting the passage of the flap between the cutter and the matrix.

To overcome this diiculty and in accordance with a feature of this invention, there is provided a machine comprising a cutter, a matrix, a flexible member having a margin which is positioned immediately in advance of the cutter and adjacent to the matrix, means for effecting relative movement of the cutter and a work piece such, for example, as a sole, to split a nap from said work piece, and means constructed and arranged progressively to force the work piece against the margin of said flexible member and to force said margin against the matrix during said relative movement.

In the illustrated construction the flexible member is a plate over which the work is fed by a presser roll to a splitting knife, the plate resting upon the matrix, terminating a slight distance in front of the edge of the knife and serving as a spacer to provide clearance between the matrix and the knife for the passage of the flap. With such a construction, in which clearance is provided for the nap, the edge of the knife may be located close to the locality in which the conforming pressure is progressively applied to the work.

In order to facilitateV the removal of the split sole from the machine without liability of tearing the flap, mechanism is provided in accordance with another feature of the invention for moving the presser plate away from the knife at the proper times.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and cornbinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side, front and. plan views, respectively, partly in section and partly broken away, of the illustrated machine;

Fig. 4 is a section on line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing details of construction of the matrix and the presser rolls;

Fig. 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged View of the matrix roll;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on line VIII-VIII of Fig. 5 when the machine is idle;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the iiexible spacer plate;

Fig. 10 shows in perspective a sole which has been split by the use of the above machine; and

Fig. 11 is a section on line XI-XI of Fig. 10.

The illustrated machine is described with reference to splitting from the heel end of an outsole 20 (Fig. 10) a heel-breast covering flap 22, the margin 24 of which is relatively thin and of uniform thickness and the base portion of which is reinforced by a rib 26 merging with the margin.

The sole being operated upon is positioned grain side down upon a nexible support 28 the rear margin of which is interposed between a matrix or matrix roll 30 and a presser roll 32 which is constantly urged toward the matrix roll under spring pressure. The sole 20 is spaced from the matrix roll 30 by the iiexible support 28 which consists of a plate of laminated construction and may be referred to as a spacer plate. In order to split the heel-breast covering ap 22 from the sole 20 positioned upon the spacer plate 28, the sole is fed progressively against the cutting edge 34 of a cutter in the form of a tubular knife 3B by the presser roll 32, the sole and the spacer plate 28 being flexed transversely (Fig. 5) under the action of the presser roll 32 to a shape determined by the matrix roll 30 as the sole is fed against the cutting edge of the knife. The presser roll 32 is supported upon a shaft 38 rotatable in bearings 40 of a slide 42 which is mounted for vertical movement in the frame 44 of the machine and downward movement of which under the action of a spring 48 is limited by a face 46 (Fig. l) of the machine 44. The strength of the spring 48 may be varied by setting a spring-retaining screw 50 in different adjusted positions in the frame 44.

The matrix roll 30 is mounted upon a shaft 52 supported upon bosses 54 of the frame 44. The major portion of the periphery or the peripheral face 55 (Fig. '7) of the matrix roll 30 has a transverse radius of curvature approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the cutting edge 34 of the tubular knife 36 which is positioned adjacent to but is spaced from said peripheral face. In order to provide the flap 22 (Fig. 10) with the reinforcing rib 26, the peripheral face 55 of the matrix roll 3ii is provided with a cylindrical surface 58 (Fig. 7) of suitable outline.

The presser roll 32, which is a combined feed and presser roll, comprises a pair of annular pads 6U which are made of rubber or other suitable material and are spaced from each other by a disk 62 of non-yieldable material such, for example, as steel, having a plurality of sharp prongs 64 (Fig. 5) which penetrate the sole and through the provision of which the presser roll 32 feeds the sole against the cutting edge 34 of the knife 36. The presser roll 32 has a concave periphery or peripheral face the transverse radius of curvature of which is approximately equal to the transverse radius of curvature of the major portion of the peripheral face 5S of the matrix roll 3|).

The end face 66 (Figs. 5 and 8) of the flexible support or spacer plate 28 is positioned approximately in a plane 68 including the respective axes of rotation of the matrix and the presser rolls 39, 32, the cutting edge 34 of the knife 36 being located a slight distance rearward of but approximately in the plane 58. The presser roll 32, when rotated in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. l), forces the sole 28 supported upon the spacer plate 28 against the rear margin of the plate as it feeds the sole against the tubular knife 36, thereby causing the plate 28 to be forced against the matrix roll 38 and to be flexed transversely in accordance with the peripheral face 56 of the matrix roll. The split flap 22 passes through an opening 69 (Fig. 8) formed between the cutting edge 34 of the knife 36 and a gaging edge 10 (Figs. 6, 8 and 9) of the spacer plate 28, the main portion of the heel end of the sole passing between the presser roll 32 and the cutting edge 34.

In order to control the splitting cut it is desirable that the cutting edge 34 of the knife 35 be positioned as close as possible to the plane 63 in which flexing pressure is applied against opposite sides of the sole 20. It is also important that during the nap-splitting operation the opening 1| (Fig. 8) between the matrix roll 3E! and the beveled face 12 (Figs. 6 and 8) of the knife 36 be wider than the opening 69 between the gaging edge I8 of the spacer plate 23 and the cutting edge 34 of the knife, thereby insuring that the ap, which expands slightly after the abovementioned flexing pressure is relieved, shall not have its passage restricted between the knife and the matrix roll. By providing the spacer plate 28, the gaging edge 'l0 of which is flexed under pressure of the sole in accordance with the portion of the peripheral face 56 of the matrix roll 36 engaged by the plate, it is possible to locate the cutting edge 34 (Figs. 6 and 8) of the knife 36 approximately in the plane 68 and at the same time to provide adequate space for the free movement of the split flap between the matrix roll 30 and the beveled face 'I2 of the knife 36.

The matrix roll is rotated through a segment gear 'I4 which is mounted for rotation upon the shaft 52 and meshes with a segment gear 'i5 (Figs. l and 3) keyed to a shaft 15 mounted upon bearings 18 of the frame 44. The segment gear 14 is connected to the matrix roll 3G by screws (Fig. 5) the cylindrical portions of which t in cylindrical openings of the segment gear 14 and threaded portions |32 of which may be secured in any two adjacent threaded recesses 84 formed in an extension of the matrix roll, The peripheral face 58 of the matrix roll 30 comprises four diierent operating quadrants which are of different shapes and any one of which may be rendered operative by rotating the matrix roli 3U into its proper angular position with relation to the segment gear 74. Although the only quadrant of the peripheral face 56 having the cylindrical surface 58 is the one which is shown operating position, it will be understood that the other quadrants of the peripheral face 56 may have cylindrical surfaces of various shapes in accordance with the desired shape of the ilap to be split from the sole.

The segment gear 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) is secured to the left-hand end (Fig. 2) of the shaft '.'E and meshes with a rack 88 supported for reciprocation in e guideway 9U of a housing 92 which is pivoted upon a bearing 94 supported by a bracket 95 of the frame 44. The rack 88 meshes with a pinion 98 (Figs. 1 and 3) keyed to the shaft 38, and the housing 92 is provided with a recess |82 for receiving a pin |04 carried by the slide 42, the arrangement being such that as the presser roll 32 is moved vertically to a slight extent, in accordance with the thickness of the sole being split, the housing 92 swings about the bearing G4, the rack 88 at all times being in mesh with the pinion 88.

Pivotally connected to the segment gear 86 through a pin is an arm |98 (Figs. 1 and 2) the rear end of which is pivotally secured to a clamp |58 which may be secured in different adjusted positions within an elongated slot ||0 of a lever ||2 keyed to a shaft |14. An arm ||6 is secured to the shaft ||4 and carries a roll ||8 which nts in a groove |20 of a cam |22 mounted i'or rotation upon a shaft |24 supported in bearings |26 of the frame 44.

The mechanism for rotating the matrix roll S and the presser roll 32 is constructed and arranged to move the median portions of the peripheries of the rcils at substantially the same speed. In order to vary the amount of rotation of the matrix roll 3i) and the presser roll 32 in accordance with the length of the flap to be split from the sole, the arm E06 may be secured in different adjusted positions with relation to the lever H2 by moving the clamp |68 into different adjusted positions along the slot ||0.

During the splitting operation the matrix roll 39 and the presser roil 32 are rotated to the same angular positions (Fig. l) irrespective of the length of the flap split from the sole. Accordingly the construction is such that the slot i8 is in concentric relation with the axis of the pin |85 at the completion of the splitting operation, as illustrated in Fig. l. Adjustment of the clamp |28, and with it the rear end of the arm it, into different adjusted positions along the slotI IIB, causes the starting positions of the matrix and the presser rolls to be varied. In order that the operator may quickly7 adjust the clamp |88 to its proper position along the slot H0 in accordance with the desired length of flap to be split from the sole, the lever i2 is provided with graduations 52S into alinement with which a pointer |39 carried by th'e clamp |08 may be moved.

The flexible support or spacer plate 28 comprises a pair of thin steel plates |32 (Fig. 4) which are positioned at opposite sides of a relatively thick ller piece |34 made of leather or of other suitable material. The forward end of the spacer Cil member 28 is secured by screws |35 (Fig. 3) to a platform |35 (Figs. 3 and 6) which is pivotally connected to an arm |38 mounted for angular movement upon the shaft 16. In order to insure that the flap 22 shall not be damaged during the return movement of the matrix and the presser rolls, the spacer plate 28 is moved forward from its operating position (Fig. l) as soon as the flap has been split to the proper length and is held in forward position until just before the rolls have been rotated back to their starting positions. Movement of the spacer plate 28 toward and away from the knife 34 is effected through the provision of a lever |45 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is pivoted at its upper end to the platform |35 and near its middle about a stud |42 carried by the frame dit, the lower end of the lever being connected through a link |134 to an arm |45 which is pinned to a shaft |48 mounted for rotation in bearings of the frame 44. Secured to the shaft |48 isan arm |58 carrying a roll |52 which fits in a guideway |54 of the cam |22.

The sole is positioned widthwise upon the spacer plate through the provision of a pair of angular levers |55 which are pivotally mounted upon bolts |58 secured to the platform |35. The levers |55 are provided with bifurcations |55 (Figs. 3 and 4) which register with each other and are of suitable width to receive a pin |62 having at its upper end a cylindrical nut |51! which fits in a guideway |65 at the under side of the platform |36. The sole-engaging portions |58 of the levers |55 are constantly urged toward each other by a spring and are moved equal distances in opposite directions through the provision of the above-described mechanism. The sole is positioned lengthwise upon the spacer plate 28 by moving the same rearward until its heel end engages the presser roll 32.

Shafts |12 and |24, respectively. upon which the tubular knife 35 and the cam |22 are mounted, are operatively connected to driving motors (not shown). While the treadle is depressed the machine operates continuously, the speed of the machine being such that the operai/or can conveniently remove the split sole from the machine and present a sole which is to be split, to the machine during the continuous operation of the same.

Although the invention is described with reference to a tubular knife it will be understood that knives or saws of various other types may be used.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A splitting machine having, in combination, a matrix, a cutter, a iiexible member having a margin which is positioned immediately in advance of the cutter and adjacent to the matrix, means for effecting relative movement of the cutter and a work piece to split a ap from said work piece, and means constructed and arranged progressively to force the work piece against the margin of said member and to force said margin against the matrix during said relative movement.

2. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix, a flexible spacer member constructed and arranged to 'oe forced by a work piece against the matrix, said member having a margin positioned adjacent to and immediately in advance o-f the cutter, means for forcing the work piece against the member and for forcing the member against the matrix thereby causing said member and said work piece to be flexed to predetermined shapes in accordance with the matrix, and means for effecting relative movement of the work piece and the cutter in a predetermined path to split a flap from the work piece and for causing diierently shaped portions of the matrix to be engaged by the ilexible member during said relative movement of the work piece and the cutter.

3. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix spaced from th-e cutter, a flexible spacer member provided with an edge which is spaced from the cutting edge of the cutter, said Spacer member being arranged' to engage and to conform to the matrix under pressure of a work piece, and means for effecting relative movement of the cutter and the work piece to split a flap from said work piece, the opening between the matrix and the cutter being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer member and the cutting edge of the cutter when said spacer member is in engagement with the matrix.

4. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a flexible spacer member, means for forcing a work piece against the spacer member and for effecting relative movement of the cutter and the work piece in a predetermined path to split a flap from the work piece, a matrix against which the exible spacer member may be forced under pressure of the work piece during said relative movement of the work piece and the cutter, and means for moving the matrix into different positions during said relative movement of the work piece and the cutter, said spacer member having an end face which is positioned between the matrix and the cutting edge of the cutter, said spacer member by reason of its thickness adjacent to said face providing clearance to insure free passage of the split flap between the matrix and the cutter during the splitting operation.

5. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a flexible plate, a presser member comprising a plurality of sharp prongs, said presser member being constructed and arranged to force a work piece against said plate, means comprising said presser member for effecting relative movement of the cutter and the work piece in a predetermined path to split a nap from the work piece, a matrix against which the plate is forced under pressure of the work piece during said relative movement of the work piece and the cutter thereby flexing the plate and the work piece in accordance with the shape of the matrix, said plate having an end face which is positioned between the matrix and the cutting edge of the knife, said spacer plate by reason of its thickness adjacent to said face providing clearance to insure free passage of the split iiap between the matrix and the cutter during the splitting operation, and means for causing differently shaped portions of the matrix to be engaged by the plate during said relative movement of the work piece and the cutter thereby varying the shape of the flexible member and the work piece during the splitting operation in accordance with the desired shape of the iiap.

6. A splitting machine having, in combination, a tubular cutter, a flexible spacer plate constructed and arranged to be engaged by a work piece and positioned slightly in advance of the cutting edge of said cutter, means for forcing the work piece progressively against the spacer plate and for feeding it against the cutter, and means for supporting the nexible plate against the pressure of the work piece and for imparting to it a predetermined shape as the work piece is fed against the cutter.

7. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a flexible spacer member constructed and arranged to be engaged by a work piece, said spacer member having a margin which is positioned in front of the cutting edge of the cutter and is spaced from said edge, means for forcing the work piece progressively against said margin of the spacer plate and for feeding it aganst the cutter to split a flap from the work piece, and a matrix spaced from the cutter and constructed and arranged to support said margin of the spacer member against the pressure of the work piece and to impart to said margin a predetermined shape, the opening between said cutter and said matrix being wider than the opening between said margin of said spacer member and the cutting edge of the cutter while the work piece is being split.

8. A splitting machine having7 in combination, a cutter, a flexible spacer member constructed and arranged to be engaged by a work piece, said spacer member having margin which is positioned in front of the cutting edge of the cutter and is spaced from the edge of the cutter, means for forcing the work piece progressively against said margin of the spacer member and for feeding it against the cutter to split a flap from the work piece, a matrix spaced from the cutter and constructed and arranged to support said margin of the spacer member against the pressure of the work piece and to impart to said margin a predetermined shape, the opening between the cutter and the matrix being wider than the opening between said margin of the spacer member and the cutting edge of the cutter While the Work piece is being split, and means for moving the spacer member away from the cutting edge of the cutter after the work piece has been split to increase the width of said opening between the margin cf the spacer member and the cutting edge of the cutter thereby facilitating the removal of the work piece from the machine.

9. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter provided with a cutting edge, a matrix roll, a presser roll, a flexible member having a margin which is positioned between said rolls and in front of said cutting edge, means f or forcing the presser roll against a work piece supported by the margin of said exible member, said margin being constructed and arranged to be forced against the matrix roll under pressure of the work piece engaged by the presser roll, and means for rotating the presser roll to feed the work piece against the cutter thereby splitting a flap from the work piece.

10. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix, a presser roll having a plurality ci sharp prongs, a flexible spacer member positioned between the matrix and the presser roll and constructed and arranged to be forced against the matrix under the pressure of a work piece engaged by the presser roll, means for forcing the presser roll against the work piece, means for rotating the presser roll to feed the work piece against the cutter thereby splitting a flap from the work piece, and means for moving the matrix into different positions during the movement of the work piece against the cutter to cause differently shaped portions of the matrix to be engaged by the flexible member in accordance with the desired shape of -flap to be split from the work piece.

11. A splitting machine having, in combination, a tubular knife, a matrix spaced from the knife, a flexible spacer member provided with an edge which is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife and is arranged to conform to the matrix under pressure of a work piece, and means for effecting relative movement of the knife and the work piece to split a flap from the work piece, the opening between the matrix and the knife being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer member and the cutting edge of the knife.

12. A splitting machine having, in combination, a tubular knife, a matrix spaced from the knife, a flexible spacer member provided with an edge spaced from the cutting edge of the knife and arranged to conform to a portion of the matrix engaged by said spacer member under pressure of a work piece, means for effecting relative movement of the knife and the work piece to split a flap of predetermined shape from the Work piece, the opening between the matrix and the knife being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer member and the cutting edge of the knife, and means for causing differently shaped portions of the matrix to be engaged by said spacer member.

13. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix roll having a peripheral face, a flexible spacer plate having a margin which is positioned adjacent to said face and immediately in front of the cutting edge of the cutter, a presser roll for forcing a work piece progressively against the margin of the spacer plate and for forcing said margin against the peripheral face of the matrix roll thereby causing the work piece to be flexed to a predetermined shape in accordance with said peripheral face, and means for rotating the matrix roll and the presser roll in timed relation.

14. A splitting machine having, in combination, a matrix, a tubular cutter, a flexible spacer' plate a margin of which is positioned adjacent to the matrix and in advance of the cutting edge of the cutter, a presser member constructed and arranged to force a work piece against the spacer plate and to force the spacer plate against the matrix, said presser member being movable to feed the work piece against the cutter thereby splitting a flap from the Work piece, and means for varying the extent of the movement of the work piece in accordance with the desired length of flap to be split from the work piece.

l5. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a rotatable matrix roll spaced from the knife, a rotatable feed and presser roll, a fiexible spacer member provided with an edge which is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife, means for rotating said feed and presser roll to force a work piece in engagement with the spacer member against the knife thereby splitting a flap from Said work piece, the opening between the matrix and the knife being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer member and the cutting edge of the knife, and means for rotating the matrix roll in timed relation with the feed and presser roll.

16. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a rotatable matrix spaced from the knife, a rotatable presser roll, a flexible spacer plate provided with an edge which is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife and is arranged to conform to the shape of the matrix under pressure of a work piece engaged by the presser roll, means for rotating said presser roll to feed the work piece against the knife thereby splitting a flap from the work piece, the opening between the matrix and the knife being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer plate and the cutting edge of the knife, and means for rotating the matrix to cause different portions of the same to be engaged by the spacer plate while the work piece is fed against the knife thereby varying the shape of said edge of the spacer plate in accordance with the portion of the matrix engaged by the plate.

17. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a matrix roll having a peripheral face, a flexible spacer plate having a margin which is positioned adjacent to said peripheral face and immediately in front of the cutting edge of the knife, a presser roll constructed and arranged to force a work piece progressively against the margin of the flexible plate and to force said margin against the peripheral face of the matrix roll thereby causing the work piece to be flexed in accordance with the portion of the peripheral face engaged by said margin, means for rotating the matrix roll and the presser roll in timed relation, and means operated in timed relation with said rolls for moving the plate toward and away from the knife.

18. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix spaced from the cutter, a rotatable feed and presser roll, a exible spacer plate provided with an edge spaced from the cutting edge of the cutter, means for rotating said feed and presser roll to force a work piece in engagement with the spacer plate against the cutter thereby splitting a flap from said work piece, the opening between the matrix and the cutter being wider than the opening between said edge of the spacer plate and the cutting edge of the cutter, means for varying the extent of the movement of the Work piece against the cutter, and means for moving the spacer plate away from the cutter when the work piece has been split to increase the width of the opening between said edge of the spacer plate and the cutting edge of the cutter thereby facilitating the removal of the split work piece from the machine.

19. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a matrix roll having a peripheral face, a flexible spacer plate having a margin which is positioned adjacent to the peripheral face of the matrix roll and is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife, a presser roll constructed and arranged to force a work piece progressively against said margin of the spacer plate and to force said margin against the peripheral face of the matrix thereby flexing the margin and the work piece in accordance with the portion of the peripheral face of the matrix engaged by said margin, means for rotating the presser roll in one direction to cause a ap to be split from the work piece and for rotating the presser roll in an opposite direction to remove the split work piece from the machine, means for rotating the matrix roll in timed relation with the presser roll, and means for causing the spacer plate to be moved away from the knife while the presser roll is being rotated in said opposite direction thereby increasing the width of the opening between the spacer plate and the cutting edge of the knife and thereby facilitating the removal of the split work piece from the machine.

20. A splitting machine having, in combination, a matrix roll, a presser roll, said rolls being rotatable about parallel axes and having their peripheral faces positioned adjacent to but spaced from each other, the major portion of the peripheral face of the matrix roll being convex transversely and the peripheralface of the presser roll being concave transversely, a tubular cutter having a cutting edge positioned in a plane lying approximately in the plane of the axes of the rolls, a ilexible plate which is constructed and arranged to support a work piece and is interposed between the matrix and the presser rolls and has an end face lying substantially in said plane, said presser roll being provided with a plurality of prongs for penetrating the work piece supported by the plate, means for forcing the presser roll against portions of the work piece supported by the plate and lying approximately in said plane to cause the plate to be forced against the peripheral face of the ma and therefore to cause the plate and the work piece to be flexed transversely in accordance with the transverse curvature of the portion of the peripheral face of the matrix engaged by the plate, and means for rotating the presser roll to feed the work piece against the cutter as it nexed progressively between the presser roll and the flexible plate.

2l. A splitting machine having, in combination, a tubular cutter having a cutting edge lying in a plane, a matrix roll mounted for rotation about an axis lying aproximately in the plane of said cutting edge and having a peripheral face a portion of which is positioned adjacent to the cutting edge of the cutter and the transverse radius of curvature of the major portion of which is approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the cutting edge of the cutter, a flexible plate having an end face which is positioned adjacent to the peripheral face of the matrix and lies approximately in the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter, a presser roll constructed and arranged to force a work piece progressively against a portion of the flexible plate located adjacent to one side of said end face of the plate and to force a portion of the lexible plate located adjacent to the other side of said end face of the plate against the peripheral face of the matrix, said presser roll comprising a plurality of sharp prongs for penetrating the work piece, and means for rotating the presser roll to cause the work piece, which is flexed progressively between the presser roll and the flexible plate in accordance with the shape of the matrix roll, to be fed past the cutting edge of the cutter to split a nap from the work piece.

22. A splitting machine having, in combina'- tion, a cutter, a matrix, a flexible spacer member having a margin which is conformable to the matrix under pressure of a sole, and means for effecting relative movement of the cutter and the sole forced against the margin of the spacer member in oneV direction to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and then in an opposite direction to remove the split sole from the machine.

23. A splitting machine having, in combination, a cutter, a matrix, a flexible spacer member having a margin which is conformable to the matrix under pressure of a sole, means for eecting relative movement of the cutter and the sole forced against the spacer member in one direction to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and then in an opposite direction to remove the split sole from the machine, and means for moving the matrix into different positions with relation to the cutter during the relative movement of the cutter and the sole in said one direction to cause differently shaped portions of the matrix to be engaged by the exible member during different portions of the splitting operation.

24. A splittingn machine having, in combination, a matrix, a cutter, a flexible spacer member having a margin which is positioned immediately in front of the cutter and adjacent to the matrix, means for forcing a sole against said margin of the spacer member and for forcing the marginragainst the matrix causing the same to be conformed to the shape of said matrix, means for effecting relative movement of the cutter and the sole forced against said margin of the spacer member in one direction to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and then in an opposite direction to remove the split sole from the machine, and means for moving the matrix into different positions to vary the operative position of said margin of the spacer member With relation to the cutter and thereby to vary the thickness of the ap.

25. A splitting machine having, in combination, a'matrix, a cutter, a flexible member having a margin which is positioned immediately in advance of the cutter and adjacent to the matrix, means for effecting relative movement of tne cutter and a work piece in a predetermined path to split a ap from said work piece, means constructed and arranged progressively to force the Work piece against said margin of the member and to force said margin against the matrix during said relative movement, and means for effecting relative movement of said margin of the flexible member and said cutter lengthwise of said path to facilitate the removal of the split work piece from the machine.

26. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife having a cutting edge, a matrix forming an opening with the knife, a flexible member provided with an edge which is spaced from the cutting edge of the knife and is arranged to conform to a portion of the matrix engaged by said member under pressure of a work piece, and means for effecting relative movement of the knife and the Work piece to split a ap of predetermined shape from said work piece, the opening between the matrix and the knife being Wider than the opening between said edge of said member and the cutting edge of the knife.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

